Keep feeling. When you’re first diagnosed you are overwhelmed by feeling, most of which you won’t want to feel. You’ll feel really pissed off with everything and everybody and you’ll feel like the world has just poo-ed on you. It doesn’t feel fair and you’ll feel very sad. The temptation is to ignore these feeling and pretend you’re fine.

Don’t do this. The bottled up stuff will make you weird. I’ve been there, and it’s not a good place for you or the people you love.

Ask for help. Go to your medical team and tell them. They’ve seen it before. If they prescribe tablets, take them. Modern anti-depressants aren’t addictive, and they don’t numb you up. If they do, cut down. You could do without becoming a zombie. They just help you see the wood for the trees.

It’s not a mark of failure to go for counselling. It’s part of a lifetime’s project to understand yourself, and you’ll find it really interesting.

Become familiar with your emotions. Learn to meditate, and do it. Eventually it becomes your favourite time of the day.